Dropper seatpost head assembly

ABSTRACT

A dropper seatpost head assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a lower post for insertion into a seat tube of a vehicle and an upper post having a housing coupled at one end thereof, the upper post to telescopically slide with respect to the lower post to form a dropper seatpost. The assembly also includes a saddle rail clamp assembly having a lower saddle rail clamping portion rotatably coupled with the housing and an upper saddle rail clamping portion to couple with the lower saddle rail clamping portion to form a clamping structure. The lower saddle rail clamping portion having a drooped shape such that the lower saddle rail clamping portion and the clamping structure hang down in a plane that intersects at least a portion of the housing.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to and benefit of co-pending U.S.patent application Ser. No. 16/778,319, filed on Jan. 31, 2020, entitled“DROPPER SEATPOST HEAD ASSEMBLY” by Coaplen et al., and assigned to theassignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

The application Ser. No. 16/778,319 claims priority to and benefit ofU.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/799,521 filed on Jan. 31,2019, entitled “A DROPPER SEATPOST HEAD ASSEMBLY” by Coaplen et al., andassigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the invention generally relate to systems and methods foradjusting the pitch and fore/aft position of a saddle on a dropperseatpost having a height that can be varied while the saddle is beingutilized.

BACKGROUND

Saddle height and saddle orientation are important parts of a vehicle(such as a bicycle, unicycle, tricycle, and the like) setup. If thesaddle is too high, a rider sitting on the saddle will feel unstable. Incontrast, if the saddle is too low, the rider sitting on the saddlewould feel cramped. Moreover, if the saddle is pitched too far forward(or too far backward) it will cause undue discomfort for the rider.Additionally, what would be considered a good set-up for riding along aroad, may not be a good set-up for climbing a hill, which may also bedifferent than a good set-up for riding down a hill, for riding acrossrough terrain, etc. As such, there is no universal saddle geometrysettings, instead saddle settings are at least user and use casedependent.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present invention are illustrated by way of example, andnot by way of limitation, in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a bicycle, in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a handlebar with a set of control leverscoupled therewith, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dropper seatpost coupled with a saddleclamp assembly, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plurality of different positions forthe dropper seatpost, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 5 is a perspective comparison illustrating the difference in deadlength between a conventional seatpost and the reduced dead lengthdropper seatpost, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a saddle, in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a saddle clamp assembly forcoupling the saddle of FIG. 6 to a dropper seatpost, in accordance withan embodiment.

FIG. 8A is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having two upwardadjustable fasteners, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 8B is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having one upwardadjustable fastener and one downward adjustable fastener, in accordancewith an embodiment.

FIG. 8C is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having two downwardadjustable fasteners, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 8D is a side cutaway view of the saddle clamp assembly of FIG. 8Chaving two downward adjustable fasteners, in accordance with anembodiment.

FIG. 9 is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly coupled with asaddle, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 10A is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having two downwardadjustable fasteners with barrel nuts showing a top clamp fastener headintrusion at a first pitch setting, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 10B is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having two downwardadjustable fasteners with barrel nuts showing a top clamp fastener headintrusion at a second pitch setting, in accordance with an embodiment.

The drawings referred to in this description should be understood as notbeing drawn to scale except if specifically noted.

DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appendeddrawings is intended as a description of various embodiments of thepresent invention and is not intended to represent the only embodimentsin which the present invention is to be practiced. Each embodimentdescribed in this disclosure is provided merely as an example orillustration of the present invention, and should not necessarily beconstrued as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments. In someinstances, well known methods, procedures, and objects have not beendescribed in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of thepresent disclosure.

Terminology

In the following discussion, a number of terms and directional languageis utilized. Although the technology described herein is useful on anumber of vehicles that have an adjustable saddle, a bicycle will beused to provide guidance for the terms and directional language.

The term “seat tube” refers to a portion of a frame to which a dropperseatpost is attached.

In general, a bicycle has a front (e.g., the general location of thehandlebars and the front wheel) and a rear (e.g., the general locationof the rear wheel). For purposes of the discussion the front and rear ofthe bicycle can be considered to be in a first plane. A second planethat is perpendicular to the first plane would be similar to anexemplary flat plane of the ground upon which the bicycle is ridden.

In the following discussion, the pitch of the saddle refers to theexemplary horizontal plane drawn from the front of the saddle to theback of the saddle. For example, if the saddle is mounted to the dropperseatpost head with a zero-degree pitch, the front of the saddle and theback of the saddle would rudimentarily be in a horizontal plane having aparallel orientation with the exemplary flat plane of the ground asdescribed above.

An upward pitch of the saddle would occur when the saddle rotates aboutthe dropper seatpost head such that the front of the saddle is higher(e.g., further from the ground plane) while the rear of the saddle islower (e.g., closer to the ground plane). In an upward pitch scenario,the saddle plane would no longer be parallel with the flat plane of theground but would instead intersect the ground plane at some location aftof the dropper seatpost head.

In contrast, a downward pitch of the saddle would occur when the saddlerotates about the dropper seatpost head such that the front of thesaddle is lower (e.g., closer to the ground plane) while the rear of thesaddle is higher (e.g., further from the ground plane). In a downwardpitch scenario, the saddle plane would no longer be parallel with theflat plane of the ground but would instead intersect the ground plane atsome location forward of the dropper seatpost head.

Overview

The following discussion provides a novel solution for a dropperseatpost head that includes the ability to allow “infinite” (un-indexed)adjustment of the saddle's pitch. Further, embodiments reduce the deadlength of the dropper seatpost while maintaining a consistent separationfrom a base of a saddle and the upper saddle rail clamping portion 430of saddle clamp assembly 400.

The following discussion will describe conventional seatposts andlimitations thereof. The discussion then turns to embodiments: thestructure and function of the vehicle assembly along with a dropperseatpost having a user interface attached thereto, and a number offastener types and orientations that are configurable for reducing thedead length of the dropper seatpost while also allowing adjustment tothe pitch of the saddle. Embodiments described herein minimize or removeany fastener incursion that would reduce the standoff distance, betweenthe upper saddle rail clamping portion and the bottom of the saddle, toless than the flex range of the saddle.

Referring now to FIG. 1 , a bicycle is shown in accordance with anembodiment. In general, the bicycle includes pedals, wheels, a chain orother drive mechanism, brakes, an optional suspension, a saddle 10 (orbicycle seat), a handlebars 200, a dropper seatpost 300, and a bicycleframe 119. In one embodiment, dropper seatpost 300 is a tube thatextends upwards from the bicycle frame 119 to the saddle 10. The amountthat dropper seatpost 300 extends out of the frame can usually beadjusted. Dropper seatpost 300 may be made of various materials, suchas, but not limited to being, the following: steel, aluminum, titanium,carbon fiber, and aluminum wrapped in carbon fiber.

FIG. 2 depicts a handlebar 200 with a set of control levers 205 coupledtherewith, according to an embodiment. The set of control levers 205 isa type of user interface with which the user employs for communicatingdropper seatpost height instructions to the dropper seatpost. Of note,the set of control levers 205 is used herein to describe variousembodiments. However, it should be understood that the term, “userinterface” may be substituted for the set of control levers 205, invarious embodiments. It should also be appreciated that the userinterface may be at least, but not limited to, any of the followingcomponents capable of communicating with the dropper seatpost: wirelessdevice, power meter, heart rate monitor, voice activation device, GPSdevice having stored map, graphical user interface, button, dial, smartphone (e.g., iPhone™) and lever).

The set of control levers 205 includes at least one control lever, suchas the first control lever 205A and may include a second control lever205B, it should be understood that in an embodiment, there may be only asingle control lever, or in an embodiment there may be a set of controllevers. For simplicity, 205 will be referred to as a set of controllevers. The set of control levers 205 are mechanically and/orelectronically connected (via wire/cable and/or wirelessly) to variouscomponents within the dropper seatpost. When the cyclist moves the setof control levers 205, via the connections between the set of controllevers 205 and the dropper seatpost, he is causing a cam within thedropper seatpost to shift positions. The shifting cam, in turn, movesagainst valves, causing the valves within a valve system to open and/orclose. This opening and/or closing of the valves control the fluidmovement through and surrounding the valve system.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a dropper seatpost 300 coupled with asaddle clamp assembly 400. In one embodiment, the dropper seatpost 300includes an upper post 310 and a lower post 315 within which the upperpost 310 telescopically slides upon actuation of a handlebar lever, suchas the set of control levers 205 shown in FIG. 2 . In one embodiment,the dropper seatpost 300 includes an air valve 333 which is used toadjust the air pressure within dropper seatpost 300.

In one embodiment, saddle clamp assembly 400 is a two clamp dropperseatpost having two fasteners to maintain a clamping force between theupper clamp and lower clamp to hold onto saddle rails 110 (shown in FIG.6 ). In addition, the two fasteners are used to adjust the pitch of thesaddle 10, e.g., nose-up or nose-down. Further, saddle clamp assembly400 is able to accommodate different seat-tube angles, differentsaddles, and different saddle pitch angles. As stated herein, the saddlepitch adjustment is important for personal rider preferences, differentseat-tube angles, different saddle designs, and the like.

In one embodiment, dropper seatpost 300 and at least part of saddleclamp assembly 400 are formed as a single component. In anotherembodiment, dropper seatpost 300 and saddle clamp assembly 400 consistof two or more distinct and/or different components. Further, dropperseatpost 300 and saddle clamp assembly 400 are formed of the samematerials, formed of different materials, etc. The materials include agroup of materials such as, but not limited to, a metal, a composite, acombination of both metal and composite parts within each part, and thelike. The metal options include, but are not limited to, steel,aluminum, titanium, and the like. The composite materials includecarbon-based composites, plastics, and the like.

For example, an aluminum saddle clamp assembly 400 and an aluminumdropper seatpost 300, a titanium saddle clamp assembly 400 and a carbondropper seatpost 300, a carbon saddle clamp assembly 400 and a titaniumdropper seatpost 300, a carbon saddle clamp assembly 400 and a steeldropper seatpost 300, etc. Similarly, there can be other materialsutilized such as carbon/metal mix (amalgamation, etc.) For example,saddle clamp assembly 400 consist of a carbon body with metal inserts,etc.

Additional details regarding the operation of a dropper seatpostassembly is found in U.S. Pat. No. 9,422,018 entitled “Seatpost” whichis assigned to the assignee of the present application, and which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a plurality of different positions fordropper seatpost 300 shown in accordance with one embodiment. In FIG. 4, dropper seatpost 342 is shown in full extension, dropper seatpost 343is shown in partial extension, and dropper seatpost 344 is shown in fullcompression. In one embodiment, the dropper seatpost can be remotelyshortened (lowered) using a control lever positioned on the bicycle'shandlebar (as shown and described in FIG. 2 ).

On technical sections of a trail, a rider may cause the dropper seatpostto lower by triggering the actuating lever on the handlebar while therider also depresses the saddle. Typically, the actuating lever of adropper seatpost will open a valve or latch in the dropper seatpost sothat the dropper seatpost can move up or down. In one embodiment,dropper seatposts have an air spring (mechanical spring, or the like)and use the rider's weight to move them down, and will only raisethemselves when the valve or latch internal to the dropper seatpost isopened (via handlebar remote). In one embodiment, dropper seatposts are“microadjustable”. There are two types of microadjustable dropperseatposts: (1) dropper seatposts that can be continuously adjusted to aninfinite number of positions; and (2) dropper seatposts that can only beadjusted to a predetermined (preprogrammed) number of positions.

For example, with regard to dropper seatpost that can only be adjustedto a preprogrammed number of positions, the dropper seatpost adjustmentpositions may be that of the following three positions: up; middle; anddown. Generally, the rider prefers that the dropper seatpost be in the“up” position during a ride over flat terrain, a road surface, orpedaling up small hills on a road surface. The rider generally prefersthat the dropper seatpost be in the “middle” position when the riderstill wants a small amount of power through pedaling but yet would stilllike the saddle to be at least partially out of the way. This situationmay occur while riding down a gentle hill or when the rider anticipateshaving to climb a hill immediately after a short decent. The ridergenerally prefers that the dropper seatpost be in the “down” positionwhen the rider is descending a steep hillside. In this situation, therider would be positioned rearward of the saddle and essentially be in amostly standing position. By doing such, the rider changes his center ofgravity to be rearward of the bicycle and lower, thereby accomplishing amore stable and safer riding position. Additionally, since the saddle islowered, it is not positioned in the riders' chest area, contributing toa safer ride.

Some mountain bikers prefer that the infinitely adjustable dropperseatpost be installed on their mountain bikes, enabling them to adjusttheir saddle at any given moment to any given terrain detail.

FIG. 5 is a perspective comparison view showing the difference in deadlength between a conventional dropper seatpost clamp setup 27 and thereduced dead length dropper seatpost with saddle clamp assembly 400, inaccordance with an embodiment. As discussed in FIGS. 1-4 , dropperseatpost 300 is a height adjustable dropper seatpost that can be raisedor lowered based on a user selection at a handlebar (or other location).

In general, the overall manufacturing goal is to build a dropperseatpost 300 having saddle clamp assembly 400 with the most stroke forthe lowest effective length. As shown in FIG. 5 , the upper post 310 ofthe dropper seatpost goes into the lower post 315 of the dropperseatpost. The stroke 555 is the exposed amount of the upper post 310 ofthe dropper seatpost 300. In general, the stroke 555 is the distancefrom the line 506 indicative of the top of lower post 315 to the line502 indicative of the bottom of the saddle clamp.

The effective length (L1 and L2 respectively) is the length between thecenter axis (501 and 501A respectively) of the saddle rail and thebottom of whatever the largest diameter portion of the lower portionthat stops in the seat tube (referred to herein as “seat tube collar525”) and shown by line 503.

During installation, the seat tube collar 525 is the lowest portion ofthe dropper seatpost 300 that is visible after it is installed into thebike frame 119 seat tube. In one embodiment, the working length on adropper seatpost is identified by the total travel distance or stroke555. The dead length is the effective length of the dropper seatpost 300in its dropped (or fully compressed) position. In other words, thedistance between the center axis of the saddle rails and the bottom ofthe seat tube collar 525 when stroke 555 is reduced to effectively 0 mmin length. In one embodiment, the goal is to minimize the dead length.

In the conventional dropper seatpost clamp setup 27, the dead length isthe distance between the center axis 501A of the saddle rails and thebottom of the seat tube collar 525 (identified by line 503), which isthe effective length L1 minus the stroke 555. In contrast, in thedropper seatpost 300 having saddle clamp assembly 400, the dead lengthis the distance between the center axis 501 of the saddle rails andbottom of the seat tube collar 525 (identified by line 503), which isthe effective length L2 minus the stroke 555. As can be seen in FIG. 5 ,the difference in the two dead lengths is distance 444. That is, thedead length of dropper seatpost 300 having saddle clamp assembly 400 isdistance 444 less than the dead length of conventional dropper seatpostclamp setup 27.

As shown in the comparison of FIG. 5 , embodiments described herein,reduce the distance from the center axis (501 and 501A respectively) ofthe saddle rails to the seat tube collar 525, e.g., reduce the deadlength, by altering the shape of the lower saddle rail clamping portion420 and the upper saddle rail clamping portion 430. In one embodiment,the dead length is additionally reduced by the change in the shapeand/or orientation of clamping fasteners for the saddle clamp assembly400.

For example, a rider wants to use a dropper seatpost 300 having a 150 mmstroke 555. However, when the dropper seatpost 300 is at its mostdropped position, there is still an amount of dead length (e.g., 20 mm).Further, the dead length is added to the travel length which means thatat its fully extended position the dropper seatpost will be 170 mm abovethe seat tube on the bike frame 119. In addition, there is also the sizeof the saddle 10 from the saddle rails 110 to the top of the saddlepadded portion 12 (e.g., 30 mm). Thus, a rider wanting to use a dropperseat having a 150 mm stroke 555 may have a top of the saddle at 200 mm(150 mm travel+20 mm dead length+30 mm saddle height) above the seattube. In some cases, this total distance of 200 mm will cause the riderto no longer be able to reach the pedals or be in a non-desired ridingconfiguration. As such, the rider would have to use a shorter dropperseatpost having only a 100 mm total stroke.

As can be seen in the comparison provided in FIG. 5 , the difference indead length distance between the conventional dropper seatpost clampsetup 27 and saddle clamp assembly 400 is reduced by measurement 444.That is, in conventional dropper seatpost clamp setup 27 the center axis501A of the saddle rail clamp is at a first distance L1. In contrast,the center axis 501 of saddle clamp assembly 400 (with the same stroke555) is at a lesser distance L2. This occurs due to the modification ofthe shape of lower saddle rail clamping portion 420 and upper saddlerail clamping portion 430 of the saddle clamp assembly 400.

In one embodiment, the lower saddle rail clamping portion 420 has beenmodified to “droop” down so that the distance between the lower saddlerail clamping portion 420 (when clamped) to the seat tube collar 525(e.g., the dead length) is reduced. In other words, the dead length isreduced due to the altering of the shape of the lower saddle railclamping portion 420 and upper saddle rail clamping portion 430, whilethe stroke 555, dropper seatpost 300 shape, and dropper seatpost 300internals remain unchanged. The unchanged aspects would include one orboth of fasteners 805 a and 805 b still facing from the bottom to thetop (as shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B).

FIG. 6 illustrates an embodiment of a saddle 10 including a paddedportion 12 for sitting, a first saddle rail 110A, and a second saddlerail 110 b (collectively “saddle rails 110”). The saddle 10 is for anyvehicle that uses a saddle configuration such as, but not limited to, abicycle, unicycle, tricycle, boat, or any type of vehicle that uses asaddle configuration. However, for purposes of clarity, the followingdiscussion will utilize a bicycle for explanatory purposes.

FIG. 7 is a front perspective view of a saddle clamp assembly 400 forcoupling saddle 10 of FIG. 6 to the bicycle frame 119. Saddle clampassembly 400 of FIG. 7 is similar to the dropper seatpost and saddleclamp assembly 400 as discussion of FIG. 3 . The saddle clamp assembly400 is, for example, configured for coupling with saddle rails 110 shownin FIG. 6 .

FIG. 8A is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having two upwardadjustable fasteners 805 a and 805 b, in accordance with an embodiment.For example, the upward adjustable fasteners could be, but is notlimited to, two fasteners 805 a and 805 b, two wingnuts screws 810A, acombination of a fastener 805 b and a wingnut screw 810A, and the like.

FIG. 8B is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having one upwardadjustable fastener e.g., wingnut screw 810A and one downward adjustablefastener 810 b, in accordance with an embodiment. In one embodiment, thefasteners can be of any sort that would work in the situation. Forexample, the upward adjustable fasteners could be, but is not limited toa fastener 805 a, a wingnut screws 810A, a downward a combination ofbolts 805 b and wingnuts 810A.

FIG. 8C is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly having two downwardadjustable fasteners 815 a and 815 b, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 8D is a side cutaway view of the saddle clamp assembly of FIG. 8Ahaving two downward adjustable fasteners 815 a and 815 b, in accordancewith an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 8B, the two fasteners 817 a and 817b have their heads in milled or otherwise manufactured small apertures466 a and 466 b formed in upper saddle rail clamping portion 430 inorder to keep any incursion of the fasteners 817 a and/or 817 b frommoving above the plane established by upper saddle rail clamping portion430.

In one embodiment, FIG. 8D also includes a snap ring grove 810 whichindicates the top of the hydraulic system that supports the dropperseatpost at the various travel locations. This allows the full length ofthe dropper post travel (e.g., the full 150 mm, etc.)

FIG. 9 is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly 400 coupled with asaddle 10, in accordance with an embodiment. Saddle clamp assembly 400includes saddle rails 110, lower saddle rail clamping portion 420, uppersaddle rail clamping portion 430, and fasteners 815 a and 815 b. Saddle10 includes saddle bottom 912.

As shown in FIG. 9 , saddle bottom 912 has a build in flex 913 with amax flex range 911 indicated by broken line. In one embodiment, althoughthe dead length is reduced by the modification of the lower saddle railclamping portion 420 and the upper saddle rail clamping portion 430,e.g., the droop; the lowering of the lower saddle rail clamping portion420 and the upper saddle rail clamping portion 430 will also reduce thedistance between the bottom of the saddle and the top of the saddle railclamp assembly (hereinafter “saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoffdistance 920”). In one embodiment, the saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpoststandoff distance 920 changes with the pitch setting when the boltconfiguration remains in an upward direction (such as discussed in FIGS.8A and 8B. In such an embodiment, the range of saddle flex 913 (e.g., anamount of flex built into the saddle 10 for performance, comfort, etc.)is mechanically reduced when a portion of a fastener, such as fastener805 a (due to pitch adjustment of saddle 10) sticks up far enough toreduce the saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance 920 to adistance that is less than the range of saddle flex 913 standoffdistance 930.

In general, if the saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance920 is less than the range of saddle flex 913, it is possible that aflex of the saddle 10 will result in contact with the highest point inthe saddle clamp assembly 400 causing a hard stop of the saddle 10. Thishard stop would be jarring, would reduce the advantages provided by thesaddle flex 913, and if the contact is made with a fastener, it wouldalso provide a lot of force in a very small area which could causesaddle damage, fastener damage, unintentional pitch adjustment, locationfocused jarring to the rider, and the like.

For example, if the saddle flex 913 is 15 mm, then the saddlebottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance 920 would have to begreater than 15 mm. If the fasteners that change the pitch can encroachon the saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance 920, then thegreatest possible fastener encroachments (e.g., at a minimum or maximumpitch) would have to be added to the saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpoststandoff distance 920 to account for the fastener encroachment. In oneembodiment, this minimum distance could require a reduction in theoverall droop of the rail clamps, or the like, which would limit theattainable amount of dead length reduction.

In one embodiment, to overcome any incursion into the saddlebottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance 920 thereby allowing themaximum “droop” in the lower saddle rail clamping portion 420 and theupper saddle rail clamping portion 430, the fasteners 815 a and 815 b inthe saddle clamp assembly 400 are inverted. In other words, the head ofthe fasteners 817 a and 817 b are in the upper saddle rail clampingportion 430 and additional mechanical components, e.g., fasteners 815 aand 815 b, are provided on the underside of the seatpost fasteners 817 aand 817 b to accommodate manipulation of the working length of thefastener. That is, the additional mechanical component provides thecapability to adjust the pitch by adjusting the location of theadditional mechanical components, e.g., fasteners 815 a and 815 b withrespect to the fasteners 817 a and 817 b.

In one embodiment, by inverting fasteners 817 a and 817 b, the uppersaddle rail clamping portion 430 of the saddle clamp assembly 400 willbecome the point on the dropper seatpost body closest to the saddlebottom 912 (as indicated by line A-A). This change in configurationallows the saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoff distance 920 to bestandardized as a measurement defined by the amount of droop in lowersaddle rail clamping portion 420 and the upper saddle rail clampingportion 430 subtracted from the distance from the upper saddle railclamping portion 430 to the saddle bottom 912.

Further, since the inverted fasteners 817 a and 817 b will no longer (orminimally) extend from upper saddle rail clamping portion 430 of thesaddle clamp assembly 400, fasteners 817 a and 817 b will not be able tomake incursions into the saddle bottom-to-dropper seatpost standoffdistance 920. Moreover, since the pitch of the saddle will be made byadjusting the mechanical component fasteners 815 a and 815 b on thelower saddle rail clamping portion 420 of the saddle clamp assembly 400,any adjustment to change in the dropper seatpost pitch (resulting in asaddle pitch adjustment) will not change the saddle bottom-to-dropperseatpost standoff distance 920.

Thus, the drooped lower saddle rail clamping portion 420 and the uppersaddle rail clamping portion 430 with inverted fasteners 817 a and 817 bwill provide a maximum rail clamp droop thereby providing a maximumreduction in the dead length, while also providing a lower minimumsaddle height; without detrimentally affecting the saddle flex 913, thedropper total travel distance T, and/or any other performancecharacteristics. Thus, the embodiment will increase the shortest andtallest rider height range for any length dropper seatpost.

In one embodiment, the drooped lower saddle rail clamping portion 420and the upper saddle rail clamping portion 430 with inverted fasteners817 a and 817 b will maintain a uniform (non-variable) max saddle flex911 standoff distance 930 between the saddle bottom 912 and the uppersaddle rail clamping portion 430 regardless of any pitch angle of thedropper seatpost and/or saddle or any adjustment to any components thatwould cause the adjustment of the pitch angle.

In one embodiment, the drooped lower saddle rail clamping portion 420and upper saddle rail clamping portion 430 with inverted fasteners 827 aand 827 b will maintain a small dropper seatpost standoff distance 920between the saddle bottom 912 and the upper saddle rail clamping portion430 during an extreme pitch angle of the dropper seatpost and/or saddleor any adjustment to any components that would cause the extreme pitchadjustment of the pitch angle.

FIG. 10A is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly 400 having twodownward adjustable fasteners with barrel nuts 825 a and 825 b, showinga head of fastener 827 b incursion a distance 1011 at a first pitchsetting, in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 10B is a side view of the saddle clamp assembly 400 having twodownward adjustable fasteners 827 a and 827 b with barrel nuts 825 a and825 b in a second pitch setting. In FIG. 10B, the head of fastener 827 bcauses an incursion of a distance 1121 while the head of fastener 827 acauses an incursion of a distance 1120 in accordance with an embodiment.

In one embodiment, the barrel nuts 825 a and 825 b are used to make surenothing sharp is sticking out from the bottom of the saddle clampassembly 400. The fasteners 827 a and 827 b include hex broaches forAllen wrenches. By using the barrel nuts 825 a and 825 b and hexbroaches in the fasteners 827 a and 827 b the adjustment to the saddlepitch will be performed by an Allen wrench in a similar manner that isdone in many present pitch adjustments.

In one embodiment, such as when the pitch is at a high angle, there isan opportunity for a slight fastener rise above the flat body of theupper saddle rail clamping portion 430. However, this would be a minimalamount. In another embodiment, a hole (similar to small apertures 466 aand 466 b of FIG. 8D) which one or both of the fasteners 827 a and 827 bare in will be deeper to ensure there is no portion of the fasteners 827a and 827 b breaking the upper saddle rail clamping portion 430 plane.In one embodiment, the hole which the fasteners 827 a and 827 b are inwill include a slight raised lip to ensure there is no portion offasteners 827 a and 827 b breaking the upper saddle rail clampingportion 430 plane regardless of saddle pitch angle.

The foregoing Description of Embodiments is not intended to beexhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form described.Instead, example embodiments in this Description of Embodiments havebeen presented in order to enable persons of skill in the art to makeand use embodiments of the described subject matter. Moreover, variousembodiments have been described in various combinations. However, anytwo or more embodiments can be combined. Although some embodiments havebeen described in a language specific to structural features and/ormethodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matterdefined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to thespecific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific featuresand acts described above are disclosed by way of illustration and asexample forms of implementing the claims and their equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system comprising: a lower post for insertioninto a seat tube of a vehicle; an upper post to telescopically couplewith respect to said lower post to form a dropper seatpost; a housingcoupled to one end of said upper post; a saddle rail clamp assemblycoupled to said housing, said saddle rail clamp assembly comprising: alower saddle rail clamping portion rotatably coupled with said housing,said lower saddle rail clamping portion having a drooped shape such thatsaid lower saddle rail clamping portion hangs down in a horizontal planethat intersects at or below a portion of said housing; and an uppersaddle rail clamping portion to couple with said lower saddle railclamping portion to form a clamping structure in said horizontal planethat intersects at least said portion of said housing; a first fastenerto fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with saidlower saddle rail clamping portion at a first location on said housing;at least a second fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle railclamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at asecond location on said housing, wherein an adjustment to one or both ofsaid first fastener and said second fastener adjusts a pitch of saidsaddle; and at least one of said first fastener or said second fastenerinverted in said housing to increase a standoff distance between abottom of said saddle and a top of said first fastener or said secondfastener.
 2. The system of claim 1, further comprising: said saddle railclamp assembly to couple at least one saddle rail of a saddle with saiddropper seatpost via said clamping structure.
 3. The system of claim 1,further comprising: both of said first fastener and said second fastenerinverted in said housing to increase said standoff distance between saidbottom of said saddle and said top of said first fastener and saidsecond fastener.
 4. The system of claim 1, further comprising: a userinterface operatively connected with said dropper seatpost, said userinterface to receive input and adjust a height of said dropper seatpostbased on said input.
 5. The system of claim 4, wherein said userinterface comprises at least one of a GUI, a button, a dial, a smartdevice, and a lever.
 6. The system of claim 4, wherein said userinterface is wirelessly coupled with said dropper seatpost.
 7. Thesystem of claim 1, further comprising: the upper post having an outerdiameter (OD) smaller than an inner diameter (ID) of said lower post, totelescopically slide said upper post into said lower post to form saiddropper seatpost.
 8. The system of claim 1, further comprising: thelower post having an outer diameter (OD) smaller than an inner diameter(ID) of said upper post, to telescopically slide said lower post intosaid upper post to form said dropper seatpost.
 9. A dropper seatpostwith head assembly comprising: a lower post for insertion into a seattube of a vehicle; an upper post to telescopically slide with respect tosaid lower post to form a dropper seatpost; a housing coupled to one endof said upper post; a saddle rail clamp assembly to couple at least onesaddle rail of a saddle with said dropper seatpost via a clampingstructure, said saddle rail clamp assembly comprising: a lower saddlerail clamping portion rotatably coupled with said housing, said lowersaddle rail clamping portion having a drooped shape such that said lowersaddle rail clamping portion hangs down in a plane that intersects at orbelow a portion of said housing; and an upper saddle rail clampingportion to couple with said lower saddle rail clamping portion to formsaid clamping structure in said plane that intersects at or below saidportion of said housing; a first fastener to fixedly couple said uppersaddle rail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clampingportion at a first location on said housing; at least a second fastenerto fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portion with saidlower saddle rail clamping portion at a second location on said housing,wherein an adjustment to one or both of said first fastener and saidsecond fastener adjusts a pitch of said saddle; and at least one of saidfirst fastener or said second fastener inverted in said housing toincrease a standoff distance between a bottom of said saddle and a topof said first fastener or said second fastener.
 10. The dropper seatpostwith head assembly of claim 9, wherein said housing is fixedly coupledto one end of said upper post during manufacture.
 11. The dropperseatpost with head assembly of claim 9, wherein said housing and saidupper post are a single component.
 12. The dropper seatpost with headassembly of claim 9, wherein said housing is formed from a firstmaterial, and said upper post is formed from a second material, thesecond material different than said first material.
 13. The dropperseatpost with head assembly of claim 9, further comprising: a userinterface operatively connected with said dropper seatpost, said userinterface to receive input and adjust a height of said dropper seatpostbased on said input.
 14. An assembly comprising: a lower post forinsertion into a seat tube of a vehicle; an upper post to telescopicallyslide with respect to said lower post to form a dropper seatpost; ahousing fixedly coupled to one end of said upper post; and a saddle railclamp assembly to couple at least one saddle rail of a saddle with saiddropper seatpost via a clamping structure, said saddle rail clampassembly comprising: a lower saddle rail clamping portion rotatablycoupled with said housing, said lower saddle rail clamping portionhaving a drooped shape such that said lower saddle rail clamping portionhangs down in a plane that intersects at least a portion of saidhousing; and an upper saddle rail clamping portion to couple with saidlower saddle rail clamping portion to form said clamping structure insaid plane that intersects at least said portion of said housing; afirst fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddle rail clamping portionwith said lower saddle rail clamping portion at a first location on saidhousing; at least a second fastener to fixedly couple said upper saddlerail clamping portion with said lower saddle rail clamping portion at asecond location on said housing, wherein an adjustment to one or both ofsaid first fastener and said second fastener adjusts a pitch of saidsaddle; and at least one of said first fastener or said second fasteneris inverted in said housing to increase a standoff distance between abottom of said saddle and a top of said first fastener or said secondfastener.